SpeedCast Opens the World to the People of Rural Afghanistan by
Providing Satellite and Off-Grid Small Cell
Communications Solutions

March 21, 2017

SpeedCast International Limited announced that it is
connecting residents in remote villages in Afghanistan through a
partnership with one of the country’s largest CDMA operators,
Wasel Telecom. Connectivity is provided through a fully managed,
off-grid small cell end-to-end solution that includes satellite
communications, solar panels, base transceiver stations (BTS)
and accompanying towers.

“The solution SpeedCast is providing here is making a difference in
people’s lives,” said PJ Beylier, CEO, SpeedCast. “We are enabling the
rural population in Afghanistan to gain access to modern communications
infrastructure so they can see the world with a new perspective. The
arrangement has the potential to bring broadband, cellular services,
e-health services, e-learning and telemedicine to the most remote areas
of the globe.”

After completing a successful proof of concept with Wasel Telecom to
connect three rural villages, SpeedCast and Wasel Telecom agreed to
collaborate on a bid for an upcoming project for the Afghan government.
The work would extend the solution to more than 200 villages in the
hardest-to-reach areas of the country.

“We are excited to collaborate with a customer-focused company like
SpeedCast,” said Mr. Hatem Al Sibai, CEO, Wasel Telecom. “I’m extremely
confident that our combined expertise will enable a solution that will
change the lives of the Afghan people.”

What is an Off-Grid Small Cell Solution?

An off-grid small cell solution is a radio access network that
includes outdoor small cells (low-powered radio access nodes that
operate in licensed and unlicensed spectrum supporting 2G, 3G and 4G
LTE) and a base station controller. Satellite backhaul completes the
solution. The network is enabled by a solar power system and battery
bank with a self-supporting tower and has a range of up to 5km.